How Often Should You Do Pushups?

Pushups are an effective exercise for building size and strength in the chest, shoulders and triceps. They also keep the lower back and abdomen firm. The big question is, how often should you do pushups each week? There are different opinions on this topic. However, the answer is often determined by the individual, based on the extent of her overall training.

Proper Form for Pushups

Start out on your knees on a firm surface. Place both hands on the floor in front of you about shoulder-width apart. Kick your legs back, straighten them and get on your toes. Keep your back straight and your feet together. Inhale and lower your upper body until your chest touches the floor. Exhale as you push yourself back up. Repeat as many repetitions as you can. Be sure to keep your elbows steady throughout the movement. Do not tuck them toward your body or you will be putting too much pressure on them.

What to Do If You Only Do Pushups

If you do not lift weights and do only pushups, you can do them every day. However, that is contingent upon your overall workout and how your elbows and arms feel. It also depends on how sore you are on a particular day. Remember, the muscles grow when you are at rest. If you are overloading them with multiple sets, you could be overtraining. You are only using about 60 percent of your body weight when you do pushups the traditional way. Thus, you are not tearing down as many muscle fibers as with weightlifting. Still, if you experience any soreness in the muscles or tenderness in the joints, it would be advisable to take a day or two off.
If you do more than five to eight sets of pushups each day, you are likely to start feeling some soreness or stiffness at times. This is your body telling you to take a day off. If you are under 35, your recuperation time is going to be faster. You may still be able to do pushups almost every day. For those over 35, listen to your joints. If you are experiencing any pain or stiffness in your elbows, you are better off cutting the pushups down to four to five times per week.

What to Do If You Do a Variety of Pushup Exercises

Some people do several sets of regular pushups, then elevate their feet to hit their upper chest. Other people even perform pushups between chairs. If your pushup routines are much more involved and you are doing over 10 sets, you should limit your routine to three to four times per week. Again, it will be up to your body as to how much muscle or joint soreness you incur.

What to Do If You Lift Weights

If you lift weights and only add pushups as part of your chest routine, that is how often you should perform them. If you train your chest twice per week, do pushups no more than twice per week. The reason is that you are tearing down more muscle fibers when lifting weights. If you start throwing a lot of pushups in between chest workouts, you will hinder your recovery period. And the next time you bench-press, you will probably not be able to lift as much.
You could drop bench press down to once per week and add a couple of extra days of pushups. In that case, you should still limit them to three to four days per week.

Pushup Routines With Equipment

There are a number of handles and even back straps that can be used for pushups. This equipment is designed to enhance a person's normal pushup routine. Anyone serious enough about enhancing his pushup performance should consider purchasing this equipment.

References

• 2 Bodybuilding; 2009